Ottawa Homes

Rural living made easy

When a condo didn't fit their style, a West Carleton couple found a way to bring the condo to the country

The house has an industrial, commercial look with cedar, stucco and ridged steel siding, while a terrace with overhanging roof shields most of a wall of windows from direct sunlight and helps keep the home cool.

Photograph by: Wayne Cuddington
, Ottawa Citizen

There's nothing traditional about the West Carleton house. Backing directly on to the Ottawa River, it features a sandy beach with views of fabulous sunsets and storms that dash the water in shades of red, orange, yellow, purple and black.

This house is all about the outdoors. Sightlines from every part of it lead the eye to the exterior, to the water and the lapping waves. As you approach the front door, you can see straight through to the back of the house, the stone and cedar terrace and the river beyond. Nothing obstructs the view.

The 2,700-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bathroom house, which has an open plan, a second-floor gym and small office, is full of angular ceilings and rooflines that create a loft-like, airy living area. It's exactly as homeowners Allan and Sharon Nodelman, both in their 60s, had dreamed it would be.

"We wanted to build a bungalow," says Allan, a dentist and avid amateur photographer, "but the lot wasn't big enough. The most important thing for us was a modern space with lots of light."

The Nodelmans had moved from a modern house in the Glebe to an apartment at Queen Street and Bronson Avenue, but found that they didn't like condo living and missed the sense of community. In fact, they wanted to be more hands-on with their own property and only a house would let them do this.

When Allan drove up the Ottawa River to visit a dog breeder, who is now one of their neighbours, "it was like a movie that went from black and white to colour when I stepped into their house.

"I knew this was the area where I wanted to live," he says.

So he and his wife set about trying to buy a house, without much luck.

They searched throughout the summer of 2006 then nine months later, they spotted a vacant piece of land with a burntout cottage.

When they first called the phone number on the sign, they were told it was sold, but four months later when the sign was still there, they called back and did the deal with the owner on a cellphone while driving by the property.

Then they interviewed builders.

The hands-down winner was Maple Leaf Homes (mapleleafdesign.ca), a nearly 10-year-old small company based out of Dunrobin and owned by Brian Saumure and Fred Carmosino. Saumure and Carmosino met at Carleton University where the former was studying architecture, the latter commerce. They founded Maple Leaf Homes directly out of university and now build about 15 custom home projects a year.

"The whole thing was such a great experience, I'd do it all again," says Sharon, now retired but who designs jewelry in her spare time. "The nicest thing about these people is the service. They stand behind their work 100 per cent and respond to e-mail and calls. They did it all - even choosing some of the light fixtures."

First, the Nodelmans produced pictures of the style of house they were after. Then they took Saumure, the architect, to their condo.

"We basically wanted our condo built here," says Allan. They incorporated some of the features they particularly liked such as a butler's pantry with secondary fridge.

The project started in 2008 with 55 loads of fill. Due to the building code, the house sits several feet higher than its older neighbours. It has an industrial, commercial look with cedar, stucco and ridged steel siding panels from the U.S. on the exterior and around the interior fireplace. The siding is designed to colour, but they've had several people joke about getting a good rust treatment.

Throughout the interior, dark grey tiled floors with radiant heating warm the house in the winter and the couple has only turned on the backup furnace twice in two years. It sits on a slab, which means no basement and no storage, but also no conventional furnace. Hot water and heat are provided on demand by a system commonly found in Europe. When you turn on a tap, water passes over a heat source as it flows, rather than keeping a tank of water heated at all times.

Saumure advised the couple not to scrimp on insulation and windows. There's five-and-a-half kilometres of open Ottawa River water to their west and storms blow in at a thunderous rate. So they opted for a premium insulation package, filling all the walls with foam insulation. It's been great, and made for "an extremely efficient house," says Saumure, but it did make the planning process more difficult as they had to know exactly where every outlet, light switch, drain, appliance and light fitting would go before the foam was sprayed.

In the summer, the house stays remarkably cool, thanks to a terrace with overhanging roof that shields most of the interior from direct sunlight, walls of windows with high transoms to allow cross breezes and the insulation. "It's our first summer without air conditioning," says Sharon while sitting in the breezy screened-in porch.

Logistically, the kitchen was difficult to build because the couple wanted to face the water while working. Traditionally, stoves are set along a wall, which makes for easier installation and venting. In this case, it would mean turning their backs to the view.

The Nodelmans searched far and wide for a professional-quality gas stove with a flat top and no backsplash to set in the central island. They found it in Montreal. Kitchen surfaces are free from appliances and clutter. It's an über-modern look enhanced by black antiqued granite countertops, clean-lined grey cupboards and a vibrant red tile wall.

In the dining room a Modern Bubble Lamp Suspension light fixture hovers like an U.F.O. above a contemporary dining table and leather chairs, while a low-profile grey ultra-suede sofa sectional from Phillip van Leeuwen offers comfortable seating for reading, but doesn't impede the views to the exterior.

"We know, in reality, that we'll end up back in the city," says Sharon, "but despite the need to drive more (when) living out here, it's exactly where we want to be right now."

More on This Story

Story Tools

The house has an industrial, commercial look with cedar, stucco and ridged steel siding, while a terrace with overhanging roof shields most of a wall of windows from direct sunlight and helps keep the home cool.

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Mortgage Calculator

Loan Amount

Amortization

Interest

Term (mths)

Payment of

The above is for illustrative purposes only. Canadian Rates are compounded semi-annuallyHelp?

Mortgage Calculator

Loan Amount

Amortization

Interest

Term (mths)

Payment of

The above is for illustrative purposes only. Canadian Rates are compounded semi-annuallyHelp?

Househunting Newsletter

Receive the latest in real estate news, decorating and renovating tips every two weeks in the househunting.ca newsletter.